For All the Saints

By Rev. Caitlin Childers Brown

Pastor and Minister of Service & Community

Every time there is a fifth Tuesday, our staff at HHBC takes time to do something in the community and spend time together. There are usually about four fifth Tuesdays in a year so this deviation in the calendar is a welcome time to get to know the community and change things up a bit.

This month, we lucked out as the fifth Tuesday fell on Halloween, meaning we obviously had to take the staff on a tour of one of Macon’s local cemeteries. Riverside Cemetery was gracious enough to provide us with a tour guide who led us from famous grave to famous grave, showing us Georgia legislators, Mercer presidents, famous collegiate Greek-life ladies, and others famous in Middle Georgia’s history. But I think the most exciting graves for me to see were the names you all would find familiar such as Willingham or McCord. The more we walked around Riverside Cemetery, the more we saw important names from Highland Hills’ history or at least last names that I guessed were deeply connected with our many families. It was fun to hear stories from our staff who knew these bygone members and to hear snippets of what their lives meant to those who knew them. Through side conversations and stories throughout the tour, I felt a little closer to our members that I'd never met.

This Sunday, we will observe All Saints Day in worship. Just as we celebrated the saints with stories and joy that we found in the cemetery, we will remember those from the church who have died in the past year. This week is the time in the church calendar that we also remember those in our lives and in the church as a whole who have gone on to be in glory. In the spirit of All Saints, below is a prayer from our Methodist friends. May the memory of the saints who have come before be a blessing!

A Prayer for All Saints Day
We give you thanks, O God, for all the saints who ever worshiped you
Whether in brush arbors or cathedrals,
Weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses
Where your name was lifted and adored.

We give you thanks, O God, for hands lifted in praise:
Manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil,
Strong hands and those gnarled with age
Holy hands
Used as wave offerings across the land.

We thank you, God, for hardworking saints;
Whether hard-hatted or steel-booted,
Head ragged or aproned,
Blue-collared or three-piece-suited
They left their mark on the earth for you, for us, for our children to come.

Thank you, God, for the tremendous sacrifices made by those who have gone before us.
Bless the memories of your saints, God.
May we learn how to walk wisely from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love.